Frank Owen

“ Yang Kuei-fei remained.
For the first time in his life Ming Huang was afraid, not because of the rebellion of An Lu-shan. That could be put down. China had always been greater than her betrayers. But he was afraid he might lose Yang Kuei-fei. She sat near him. He did not wish her to speak. He dreaded confession from her lips. An Lu-shan, too, had loved her. He was young, ambitious. Perhaps she had been blinded by his brilliance. Ming Huang felt as though only a web as thin as gossamer protected his happiness. A word, and the web would be broken. ”

“ Am I a menace to the safety of China? Can these small hands bring ruin upon the country?"
Ming Huang found his voice. He spat out viciously, "These men are traitors! The head of every last one of them must fall before the sword of the Executioner!"
"Would you slay sixty-five thousand men?"
"Yes, to prevent harm from befalling Yang Kuei-fei! They deserve death!"
"That I grant you, but there is no one to perform so gigantic a task."
"Are all my men traitors?"
"Revolt is a pestilence that sweeps troops, as a black plague devastates a city. Only a few have escaped its scourge. ”

“ All through the chaotic years of the rebellion, Lan Jen had remained as protector of the gardens, and though there had been an endless carousal of pillage and plunder, rape, murder and bestiality, not a leaf had been broken, not a petal destroyed. Surrounded by Palace ladies, what need had the mighty rebel army for the quiet of an enchanted garden?
"Consider flowers," said Lan Jen. "Men break them, drag them from their homes, trample them into dust, and in return, they give perfume. From their fragrance, the nightingale draws song. The stars reflect their sadness." ”

“ Nevertheless, if An Lu-shan threatened the Empire, if An Lu-shan were a traitor, son or no son, he must be destroyed.
"Where are the troops?" Ming Huang cried firmly, though it was an effort for him to regain his composure. "Where are the forces of Li Mi? Why do they not head off the attack? If they swarmed along the walls of Loyang, and protected the gates not a man of the enemy could break through."
"Li Mi," quavered Kuo-chung, "is dead. Foolishly, without thought, his army attempted to subdue the barbarous State of Nan Chao. Two hundred thousand men were destroyed." ”

“ The fragrance in the garden increased. The wind in the trees played gentle music, in tune with a nightingale far up in the azure sky who joined in a song worth singing. Ming Huang breathed deeply of the pungent air. Some slight vestige of peace found its way to his heart. He closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep, sleep without dreams. And as he slept, the earth changed. The sun crept over the far hills to die. And a yellow moon rose like a flying lantern. ”

“ The aged Ming Huang clutched his son's arm, "No, no," he whispered with redoubtable intensity, "Yang Kuei-fei still lives."
Li Ting placed his arm about his father's bowed shoulders.
"We will send soldiers to exhume her body," he said gently.
In anguish, Ming Huang cried, "No soldiers may touch her body! There has been enough of war. Enough of fighting. It is my wish that four hundred women proceed quietly to Ma Wei, taking care not to disturb the wind, nor to brush the trees as they pass by. Reverently must they procure the body of my beloved if it can be found." ”

“ At An Lu-shan's approach, he glanced up.
"My flowers are dying!" he cried in anguish. "Dying, because Yang Kuei-fei is dead."
An Lu-shan gripped him by the throat and shook him until his eyes bulged and his throat rattled.
"You lie!" he cried. "You lie! Yang Kuei-fei is not dead!"
When he released him, Lan Jen sank to the ground.
"Listen to the voice in the wind," he gasped. "Can you not hear? Yang Kuei-fei is dead and my flowers are dying of grief."
An Lu-shan turned away, a conqueror in anguish. His Empress was dead, killed by the force of his ambition. ”

“ The defection of An Lu-shan, drove home the fact that he could not be sure of anyone except faithful Kao Li-shih and Kuo-chung, who had warned him of the impending peril. But he had refused to heed. Despite his frail body, Kuo-chung had been strong, loyal to the Empire.
A check-up showed surprisingly few military men left in Changan, and these for the most part were Palace troops who had lived so long in luxury that they had become inefficient, flabby parasites fastened to the Imperial treasuries. Men who never are called upon to fight, seldom remain capable of fighting. ”

“ Ming Huang took off his own dragon robe and placed it on the shoulders of Li Ting.
"Noble son," he said, "you must remain as Emperor of China. You have done your work well. China will endure. I shall not mount the throne again, for I am an old man, very, very tired. Soon the taste of gold will be upon my tongue. Ere that day comes, I must find Yang Kuei-fei."
"But she is dead, father. Four hundred women have gone in quest of her body." ”

“ I am an old man. I cannot live much longer."
"To me, you are not old, nor will you ever die. Through your deeds, you will live. Through all the ages to come men will remember the Poet Emperor who sat upon the Dragon Throne and charmed into being all that was best in poets, painters and musicians."
As she finished, he caught up the thread, "Yes, they will remember the brave days when the Palace halls were sweetened by the music of the voice of Yang Kuei-fei, a girl so beautiful even flowers worshiped at her shrine. ”

“ During the following months, An Lu-shan was frightened to frenzy by the awesome world of darkness into which he had been plunged. He had the feeling that the blackness had texture, that he could tear it with his hands like silk if only he could get a firm grip; that he breathed it in with each breath that he took. It caught in his throat and invaded his lungs. ”

“ At last, wearily, Kao Li-shih knew that the cause was lost. A handful of patriots could not pit their strength against a howling mob of over sixty thousand men who had become like unto beasts, lusting for blood, eager for the kill. If Kao and those who had reiterated their allegiance to the Emperor were to fall, there would be no one to protect his Imperial person. And it was not beyond probability that not only would the Yang family be murdered but the Emperor, himself, as well.
Finally, wearily, he turned to Hung Chow, the jade carver, and the others who were loyal. ”

“ This was a formidable barrier to the invader from outside, but what of the enemy within, the treasured friends, the devoted comrades, the slimy gentlemen with ingratiating personalities who had wormed their way into the core of the Empire? The sages had written to beware of the man who has a smiling face, but the people were without guile. For the most part they were peasants and artisans, highly domesticated. They loved their homes and their farms. They were complacent, satisfied. They knew the songs of poets, they loved the soil and the trees and the sun in splendor. ”

“ He was in a far soberer condition than he had been for years.
"Your Majesty," he persisted, "as I predicted, An Lu-shan has revolted. His soldiers are marching on Loyang. They are even now entering the gates of the city."
"What vicious chatter is this?" burst out the Emperor, striving to control his anger. "Will you never cease your base imaginings?"
"Would that the fault were mine," said Kuo-chung humbly, "but grim reality demands action. I beg leave to point out to Your Majesty that I have repeatedly warned you against the plotting of An Lu-shan." ”

“ Until this moment I did not know that Li Mi was dead. However, the faults of one man cannot destroy a great people. China will survive, and life will be sweetened once more."
"Faithful Kao, what would I do without you?"
"If you accompany a man at all," said Kao, ill at ease, "accompany him all the way."
"I'll raise a new army!" cried the Emperor. "And lead it into battle!"
"You cannot do that!" said Yang Kuei-fei. "You are Emperor of China!"
"I'll appoint Li Ting, my son and heir, Regent to rule in my place."
"Li Ting has left the Palace," broke in a eunuch, who had joined the group. ”

“ Send emissaries throughout the city, shout far and wide that China needs patriotic multitudes. All true men are to rally at once to their Emperor's aid. We will flee temporarily by the Great Shu Road to Chengtu. There we will gather an army from all quarters of the Empire, so large that An Lu-shan will tremble at its approach and sue for peace. ”

“ While this was happening, An Lu-shan rode in triumph into Changan. His troops, weary of warfare, bewildered by the magnificence of the city, entered upon a period of looting and dissipation. They gave themselves over to sexual excess. Thousands of Palace ladies had elected to remain in ease at the Palace, refusing to take seriously the danger from the mighty rebel who had once been their buffoon, a warrior who had shared their caresses and extravagantly exhibited his powers as a lover. ”

“ The General's forces had reached their positions long before the arrival of the army of An Lu-shan, who moved forward slowly, engaging in numerous small battles along the way. It was his established plan to subdue all towns through which he passed so that troops might be moved around easily and not be in danger of either a flank or rear attack. He had no qualms about resorting to complete ruthlessness. The rights of small villages were not worth considering. His creed was that righteousness lay in strength, and no crime was more acute than weakness. ”

“ I no longer am Emperor of China. I have abdicated in favor of my son."
"In my heart," said the Priest softly, "Your Majesty remains Emperor. Such allegiance is difficult to change. When one is old it is hard to learn new songs."
"I am gratified," said Ming Huang quickly. "But tell me, is it true that you are able to speak with the spirits of those who have departed from this earth?"
"Yes, it is true," said the Priest, "and so at the request of Lan Jen I have journeyed many miles that I may have audience with my Emperor." ”

“ Though reared in luxury and dominated by the eunuch Li Fu-kuo, when the need arose, he was ready. His action gave his father new courage.
Before long An Lu-shan was on the march again. Scoundrels in key positions must always plan new battles to keep their hold on their troops. When there is an emergency, troops usually hang together. That was the way An Lu-shan reasoned. His own troops must be worn out with war in order that they might lose their thirst for conquest. Therefore he marched on the strong fortress of Tung Kuan, guarding the historic pass between Loyang and Changan. ”

“ An Lu-shan smiled grimly. Loyang, the Eastern Capital, was an open city, ripe for any conqueror who cared to pluck it. From headquarters at Loyang the conquest of all China might be accomplished, with little opposition, by a well-trained army whose soldiers were ambitious.
6.
An Lu-shan showered Yang Kuei-fei with gifts, for two reasons, that he might not slip from her thoughts, and to impress upon her that his wealth was without limit. He did not acquaint her with the fact that he had a son as tall as himself and equally ambitious. His name was An Ch'ing-hsü. ”

“ Gives color to the tea."
She lifted her cup and breathed deeply of the subtle aroma.
"Tea is the liquor that makes all men brothers; by it the world will be purged of sin. Men who drink tea have little need for war."
"I would be a traitor to my calling," mused An Lu-shan, "if I agreed with you in that. A general needs victorious wars in order to build up his reputation. Perhaps too much tea is an antidote and a commander might do well to see that his men partake of it sparingly." ”

“ Hundreds were belched from wine shops, and plunged along, gazing with bloodshot eyes on a sight so strange that they were at a loss to know whether they were on the way to an elaborate circus or whether through the prank of some evil genius they had been transformed into cattle and were now being herded. ”

“ The burst of hatred verged into incoherence. In the mob no sense of reason remained. Neither was there leadership. The cry had been raised spontaneously by a dozen different tongues, spurred on by the efforts of those among the troops who had sworn allegiance to An Lu-shan and whose self-appointed task was to cause dissension. They had not intended to drive the new revolt to an extremity of violence. ”

“ He was too agitated to think of Court ceremony. "He has gone with his friend the eunuch Li Fu-kuo to try to get together an army of loyal troops to combat the forces of An Lu-shan."
Ming Huang surveyed the group about him proudly. "An Lu-shan is no son of mine," he said bravely. "My son, Li Ting, will save the Empire. You are right, Kao, China will live."
Yang Kuei-fei bowed her head. "As long as there are stars in heaven," she said fervently. ”

“ He knew that his troops were raping and pillaging and he did nothing to check the wild orgies. That day thousands of the Palace ladies were killed, and the stories of their tortures will never be known.
An Lu-shan cursed in his despair. He had caused the Emperor to flee for his life, he had captured both the Western and Eastern Capitals. In all of China there was none who was so powerful. Now he was known as the Emperor Hsung Wu of the Great Yen Dynasty. He had come a long way since he had been born a poor boy in the Ya-lao mountains. ”

“ No man pursued him, no one was strong enough seriously to block his path.
Ko-shu-han did not underestimate the might of the rebels. He decided that he would not go out to meet them in open battle until he could be reinforced by the armies of Li Kuang-pi and Kuo Tzu-i who were massing over two hundred thousand troops, an army strong and gallant enough to save the Empire.
Ming Huang was advised of the plan, but he was in no mood for dalliance. He discussed the matter with Kuo-chung. Kuo-chung boldly asserted that to wage defensive warfare would be a mark of cowardice. ”